The Daily News. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1911. CITIZENS AND CRIME.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 131, 24 November 1911, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1911. CITIZENS AND CRIME.

British authorities complain that at the present day the average citizen's attitude towards crime and the criminal has changed and that while in "old™ times" there was a general hatred of and liardheartedness, against the criminal, nowadays there is a disposition to shelter even the most atrocious malefactors. This was evidenced in the case of a German suspect accused of foully murdering a woman, her child, and a girl servant. There were demonstrations against him, but there were also demonstrations for him, although it was abundantly believed that he had committed the crime with which he was charged. In America there is without any possible doubt a disposition to shield malefactors, and this is evidenced by the difficulty of obtaining juries and the ve.'y frequent comdonanee of the "unwritten law." In the colonies the ''friends" of criminals are of two classes—those who believe themselves to be "good" and allow sentiment and emotionalism to dominate their faculties, and those who are utterly incapable of judging of the seriousness of a criminal's doings, so that we are occasionally treated to a display of first-aid to the criminal, which is of immense service in cheating the law and i nglorifving and exalting crime. Because of this indulgence it must be believed that many people out of gaol would not only condone crime, but commit it. except for the consequences, and this reveals a national weakness which is not good for the national health. Mr. Justice Chapman, at present conducting the Supreme Court session in Auckland, lately referred to the fact that in Auckland there was a larger criminal population than in any other place in Now Zealand. This, of course, is proved by the Court records, anil the probability is that the criminal is attracted not only by the climate (as Mr. Justice Chapman suggested), but by the fact that "where the carcase is there will the eagles be gathered together." There is more "prey" in Auckland that elsewhere, and it has never been proved, nor can it be proved, that the northern city "produces" more criminals—it merely attracts them. Mr. Justice Chapman's most important remark, however, was contained in his appeal to normal citizens in whose hands the conduct of a city so largely lies. TTe suggested that citizens should be vigilant in reporting crimes. It is characteristic of the citizens of many communities that they hale to be "dragged into a Court case," and naturally, too, one supposes, But the citizen who reallv slum's krrnncss in this matter is unlikely to be popular with either police or people. Tt may perhaps be provable that New Zealand has as large a proportion of offences of the minor kind as other countries, tut

it can certainty be proved that, it lias a smaller percentage of police that most countries. It might also be advanced that there is a large element in society that keeps out of gaol because of its aeuteness or its fear of the consequences. The police records of a country that has a force far too small for it are not an indication of the crime of a country, tut only of tire crime for which convictions are desired. Mr. Justice Chapman said nt Auckland that the calendar contained no very bad cases —that seems to say that the wrongdoers were mere beginners in the broad road, many of them being young. It is impossible to : say whether the absence of national and parental discipline in New Zealand is the reason for the straying of the youngsters or whether "anthropological circumstances" referred to by the Judge have all to do with the gradual increase of those who take to crime for a livelihood. The fact that all criminologists and most judges regard the criminal nowadays as an irresponsible agent may be having the effect of lessening the horror of the public for crime generally and in these latter days when there is so large an increase of neurotic subjects, irresponsible emotionalists and weeping sentimentalists who cry over a murderer and let the mere natural sinner "work out his own salvation," the evil-doer naturally takes advantage of the circumstances. Judges advise the police from time to time to take precautions for the safeguarding of the young and the preservation of property, but if we believe that the safeguarding of the young and their training is the business of parents and organisations, other than police organisations, we accuse parents of lack of duty. You will at any Supreme Court sitting in New Zealand find young accused persons before the Bench. If they are convicted they are punished. If Ave believe that crime would not have been committed but for the lack of parental control and discipline we do wrong in not accusing the parent as well as the child. And, at any rate, none of us arc Lombrosos and few are fit to determine causes for abnormalities, for the normal parent may father the burglar (whocannot help burgling') and the perfectly upright man may possess a brother who can no more help being a "wrong one" than the other can help being honest. Eugeni&ts believe in beginning right from birth, and before it, but they can't lay down laws. Criminals are produced whatever precautionary measures may be taken, and no means have yet been discovered for assuring the production of a. perfectly clean human crop. Tt is impossible to attach any importance to the fact that a certain area, of a specified country contains more wrongdoers than any other area, for the normally honest man who cannot help being honest does not become a, criminal by a change of climate or by domicile in a criminal community. We believe that if it were possible, to select perfect human stock proved to be descended from generations of non-crim-inals and to exclusively people a country with them, the same social problems '■ (including the problem of crime) would ineivtably appear in the course of time, for even the most advanced cugonists cannot hold that like invariably produces like.

THE VICTORIAN' VOTING SYSTEM. That a member of Parliament should represent the majority of the electors whose suffrages he "woos" is reasonable; that he frequently represents a minority is certain. Under the preferential voting system -adopted in Victoria it is impossible to have, minority representation, and therefore the real preference of the people is discovered. The preferential voting system was given to Victoria by the late. Miss Helen Spence, and the paper given to Victorian voters contained the names of all the candidates, with instructions that the voter should mark the order of his preference. If A. B .and C. were candidates, the voter would not vote against any of them, but would state the order of his preference, thus—A.2 8.1, C.3, and so on. If B. gets the largest number of first preference votes, and this constitutes a majority of the voters, in he goes. If, however, B. does not get the necessary majority of votes even though he be "'first preference" the second preference is counted, and if the majority is secured, in goes the majority representative. Party work is obviously made of small effect, and "splits" are robbed of their stings, for the people under the preference system vole for the man they like best. The results of the Victorian election, therefore, indicate the, truest possible desire of the people and represent the death of minority representation in Parliament—a real essential in any country that pretends to march under the standard of democracy. The issue before the people under the preference voting system is clear. There can be no confusion of ideas, and it is not so liable to mistakes as the system that makes a voter declare that all candidates but one are unworthy of even a small degree of his favor. To say tliat A. is the best man and that B. is not quite so good, and that C. is the worst of the three is quite fair, but to allege that no one is worthy but A. (as our system insists) cannot in all cases show the real mind of the electors.